Staying Alive//TWDFanFic

Eight

**WARNING: This part has talk of SA, if this triggers you, this part is not for you. If you've seen season 4, this is basically when Daryl's new group comes into contact with Rick, Michonne and Carl but with a twist since it has to involve Josie.**

We were forced from the house because a group invaded it, Rick barely made it out without being seen so we've just been walking for a bit now, trying to find somewhere to settle down. It's been a few days now but we found a stranded SUV to stay in for the night. I went into the woods to search for wood to keep the fire going with nothing but my bow and a flashlight. I wasn't as nervous as the others to go into the woods in the dark so I was our best bet anyways.

I was making my way back when I was grabbed from behind, whoever it was put a rag in my mouth and held my hands behind my back, he took me back to the road where I saw Rick and Michonne were being held at gunpoint and Carl was being held in the SUV by some creep with a knife through the window. I was shoved toward Michonne and Rick before he took the rag from my mouth, "Look what I found in the woods." The man holding the gun to the back of Rick's head eyed me for a moment before he started laughing, "Well well well, I thought we got rid of you properly last time. Guess we'll have to make sure after we use you up one last time." I heard one of them shout, "Claimed!" I started to panic once I realized it was the group of men who attacked me months ago. My breathing quickened as I made eye contact with Rick, I was shocked when Daryl stepped out from behind the group of guys opposite side of us with his crossbow aimed at us. I stared at the ground as the tears streamed down my face, "Josie?" I looked up at him as the man holding the gun on Rick said, "Sorry, Daryl, she's already been claimed. We're going to make sure we actually get rid of her this time though so maybe you can help out with that." He looked confused, "This time?" He looked at me before he shook his head and started pleading with the man to let us go and take him instead. "No!" I screamed before the man holding my hands behind my back pulled me closer to him and licked the side of my face, "She's feistier than I remember." I wince before I see Carl being drug to the ground by the creepy man who had a knife on him, he was struggling with him as Daryl started getting beat up by the other guys. I started trying to get away from the man holding me back when I saw the fat creep flip Carl over and start unbuckling his belt, I kicked at him as hard as I could but I wasn't close enough to hit him. Rick got into an altercation with the leader and once he bit a chunk out of neck, I was stunned but didn't have time to be so I head butted the guy holding me down so hard that I got dizzy from it. Rick and Michonne were able to basically take them all out and keep Daryl from being beat up any worse. I kicked the pervert off of Carl before he ran to Michonne and I heard Rick say, "He's mine." I got out of the way and watched as Rick basically gutted the sick fuck like the pig he was.

I felt a hand grab onto mine and looked over to see Daryl slowly getting closer to me, "Are you okay?" He asked, I shook my head before wrapping my arms around him and sobbing quietly. He patted the back of my head to calm me down, it worked after a few minutes. I just buried my head in his chest until it was over.

Eventually Rick went and sat on the ground next to the SUV while Michonne sat with Carl in the backseat. I sat on the log by the fire as Daryl went to get my bow and the wood I dropped when I was grabbed. He came back after a few minutes and got the fire going again before he sat down next to me. We were sitting in comfortable silence for a while before I asked, "Did you make it out with anyone else?" He nodded, "Beth." I glanced over at him, "What happened to her?" He shook his head like he didn't believe whatever memory went through his head, "She's just gone." I looked at Rick, he was still sitting there staring at the woods. "Did you get out with Rick and them?" I shook my head, "No, I actually passed out and Michonne got me up, we found Rick and Carl a few days after everything. Those guys you were with took over the house we were staying in so thats how we ended up out here." He seemed like he had something he wanted to say and I assumed he wanted to ask about how those guys knew me so I just sighed deeply and faced him, I told him everything that happened all those months ago with that group of men. He seemed like he was holding back tears as he poked at the fire, avoiding eye contact with me, "I'm so sorry that happened to you, I knew they were bad but I didn't think they were that bad." I stayed silent while he studied my blank face, "That will never happen to you again. Never." His tone was stern and filled with rage. We stayed silent as the sun started to rise, I just stared at the ground and waited for someone to tell me what to do. I felt like I was made of stone by how still I was, I don't even think I blinked for a while. I was happy the guys who assaulted me were finally gone but who's to say we won't run into that ever again? Who's to say they won't just take out Daryl and use me up like I'm some fucking toy? I decided then and there that won't ever happen to me again, no matter what the situation.

Daryl went over to Rick and I just stayed where I was. I put my bow over my shoulder and just waited. After an hour or so, we started walking again, we saw some signs for a place called, 'Terminus'.

Rick decides we should head in through the back to see what we're up against, he buries a bag of weapons in case anything happens. We hop the fence and head into the first building we see.

We step into a large half empty room with random desks scattered across the room from us, there's a woman sending out a message for sanctuary as Rick speaks up. The skinny guy stops what he's doing along with everyone else, he has a look of annoyance on his face but he also didn't seem surprised that we were in here. I squinted my eyes at him as I glared his way, he noticed and made a comment about it, "You seem incredibly friendly already. Whats your name, hon?" I stay silent as Rick introduces us to them. They ask us to set our weapons down in front of us before patting us all down and giving them back. Gareth, is the shady man's name. He eyes me before leading us outside. I made my way next to Daryl and whispered, "I don't trust this guy." He whispered back, "I don't either, there's something off about him." We approach an older woman preparing food on a large grill, Gareth instructs her to make us a few plates before eyeing me again as he walks away. Daryl noticed him do that this time and looked between us before Rick grabbed one of the men in front of us and started yelling about ponchos or something, I aimed my bow at the woman standing behind the grill. Gareth came back with his hands up, telling the guy Rick was holding to shut up but he wouldn't so it was overwhelming for me a bit, I pointed my bow at Gareth who smirked at me, "You're going to try to kill the person who's helping you?" I stare into his soul before shots start firing, Daryl grabs my arm and we run off through the compound. We were being shot at but they were all shooting at our feet like they were missing us on purpose.

We stopped when we saw a bunch of them aiming guns at us from the fence, Daryl and I glanced at each other when we heard Gareth yelling something from the roof behind us. We all turned around slowly as he made us put our weapons down in front of us, he made Rick go over to a train car, followed by Daryl then Michonne. He paused for a moment as I glared up at him, "You're going to be my favorite, I can tell." He winked at me and I just winced as I looked at the ground, he told me to go stand behind Michonne before he finally let Carl come with us. He commanded Rick to open the door before making us pile in it, someone closed and locked the door behind us.

We were standing in the dark besides a few beams of sunlight shining in from random cracks in the metal around us, I saw Glenn come out from the other side of the car, "Rick?" He asked. Maggie rushed over and hugged me, I hugged her back and happy cried for a moment before she pulled away and told Rick that the people behind them were their friends, they also saved their lives. "Then they're friends of ours." Daryl said, I glanced back at where his voice came from but I couldn't see him. A kind of awkward looking guy with a mullet stepped forward, "I know we just met and we're probably all going to die soon but I just wanted you to know that you're one of the hottest women I've ever seen in my life." I cross my arms and scoff, "Am I suppose to say thank you?" He kept a straight face, "That'd be the polite thing to do." Daryl stepped beside me, "The polite thing would be not to hit on someone's girl right in front of them." The mullet dude put his hands up, "Sorry." The military guy in the back steps forward, "I apologize, Eugene is a little eccentric. I'm Abraham and this is Rosita." I wave at them as another woman steps forward, Glenn points to her, "This is Tara." I nod at her, she nodded back as Rick started talking to us. I zoned out a bit as I started to process that I'm probably going to die here. I started to panic and my breathing started to quicken until I was audibly hyperventilating, Daryl grabbed me and shouted, "Whats going on?!" Tara stepped forward and helped lay me down, "She's having a panic attack." She laid my head in Daryl's lap before fanning me with something, it helped a bit until I straight up passed out.